No OS

[SteveManila1960]

So I did it. Took a perfectly working Macbook Air running Mojave and decided that wasn't good enough the software should run Monterrey.

Huge mistake. I now have a brick that has no operating system! When I try to reboot into recovery mode where I can do a new install it wants to load High Sierra but the SSD is not formatted to apfs so it won't install.

There is no data on the SSD at all it was a new used purchase. I would just like to format the SSD as apfs and install Monterrey if possible.

Early 205 Macbook Air

Any help? Thank you

 

[Isamilis]

1. Create usb bootable installer (you can google it). Unfortunately you need working Mac to do this
2. After booting with the installer, choose Disk Utility to format / repartition disk

 

[DeltaMac]

I agree.
You will have much better luck with an external USB bootable installer. It's pretty simple to make your own.
note: there's no particular need to format the blank drive as APFS. The installer will take care of that, and will convert a Mac OS Extended format to APFS automatically -- it's part of the install process.

 

[bogdanw]

Apple documentation:
How to create a bootable installer for macOS https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372
Use macOS Recovery on an Intel-based Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-macos-recovery-on-an-intel-based-mac-mchl338cf9a8/mac

 

[Fishrrman]

Boot to INTERNET recovery (which is NOT THE SAME as "the recovery partition").
Command-OPTION-R
at boot

You'll need your wifi password.
The internet utilities take a while to load -- be patient (while the globe spins).

When you get to the utilities, open disk utility.
VERY IMPORTANT: go to the "view" menu and choose "show ALL devices".

Select the "topmost" item in the "list on the left".
This is the internal drive.
Click the erase button.
Erase to "APFS" with GUID partition format.

When done, quit disk utility and open the OS installer.
Start clicking through.
During the install, the Mac will reboot one or more times, and the screen will go dark for periods of time with no other indication of activity. Be patient. Just let it sit there.

When done, you should see the initial startup screen.
Start clicking through.

Now you have a choice to make:
Either create a brand-new user account
or
Use setup assistant to migrate data from a backup drive.
Your choice.